Forum Discussion
Odd pasting of things as images
As you say I can see both text and image in the clipboard but image is top. Its currently alternating so presumably just random which is top in the clip board. so I can pick using windows v. If I try paste special I only get the option of Bitmap (Ctrl+alt+v doesnt do anything)
I had a dropbox for office addin which I have removed but no difference. I dont have any other 3rd party apps except Helpwire which is a remote desktop app. That seems to be the culprit which is extremely irritating as need to use it for multiple machines I am running. any remote desktop apps that are approved of?
Thanks so much for finding it
The alternating behavior is a massive clue that suggests something is competing for clipboard priority, which could be any of the apps, or even Windows itself.
Here are the strong candidates we haven't properly ruled out yet:
1. Windows Cloud Clipboard Sync
If you're signed into Microsoft with a work/school account, Windows syncs your clipboard history across devices.
Test: Go to Settings → System → Clipboard. Turn off "Sync across devices" and clear the clipboard history. Restart Excel. If the alternating behavior stops, that was it.
2. Windows PowerToys (if you have it installed)
The "Advanced Paste" module in PowerToys hijacks the clipboard and can force certain formats. Even if you don't use it, it runs in the background.
Test: Open PowerToys and disable the "Advanced Paste" module entirely.
3. Keyboard/Mouse Vendor Software (Logitech Options, Razer Synapse, Corsair iCUE)
These often have macro or "smart" clipboard features that intercept Ctrl+C/V to add custom formatting. They update silently in the background, which could explain the "getting worse over months" symptom.
4. A Corrupted Excel User Profile / Template
Excel saves your recent copy/paste preferences in the registry. A glitch there could default to "Paste as Picture" when it can't decide.
Test: Close Excel, press Win + R, type %appdata%\Microsoft\Excel\, and rename the Excel14 (or Excel15) folder to Excel14_old. Restart Excel – it will rebuild a fresh profile. Test copy/paste.
5. A Stuck "Default Paste Format" in Registry
There's a specific registry key that controls Excel's default paste behavior. It's rare, but it can get corrupted.
Test: Before doing this, I'd suggest the clean boot test from my first message first, as it's safer.
The Definitive Test to Prove if It's Help wire
Instead of guessing, let's do a controlled experiment:
- Completely uninstall Helpwire (not just quit – actually uninstall it) and reboot.
- Open Excel and test Ctrl+C/Ctrl+V 20 times in a row. If it's flawless every single time, Help wire was the problem.
- If it still alternates between normal and image after Help wire is gone, then Help wire was never the issue – and you need to look at Windows itself, PowerToys, or your keyboard software.
My answers are voluntary and without guarantee!
Hope this will help you.